Semiconductor structure with a conductive line and fabricating method of a stop layer

ABSTRACT

A fabricating method of a stop layer includes providing a substrate. The substrate is divided into a memory region and a peripheral circuit region. Two conductive lines are disposed within the peripheral circuit region. Then, an atomic layer deposition is performed to form a silicon nitride layer to cover the conductive lines. Later, after forming the silicon nitride layer, a silicon carbon nitride layer is formed to cover the silicon nitride layer. The silicon carbon nitride layer serves as a stop layer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method of forming a stop layer. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of forming a silicon carbon nitride layer that is used as a stop layer.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Dynamic random access memory (DRAM) is a major type of volatile memory that has been widely used in many electronics. A conventional DRAM usually includes an array region for data storage formed by an enormous number of memory cells. Typically, a memory cell is formed by serially connecting a capacitor to a transistor.

Capacitors are disposed in a memory region of a DRAM. Other transistors and contact structures are formed in a peripheral region adjacent to the memory region. During the process of forming the capacitors, a dielectric layer is firstly formed in the memory region and the peripheral region. Openings respectively corresponding to one of the capacitors are then formed in the dielectric layer. After forming the capacitor bottom electrodes along the sidewall and bottom surfaces of the openings, the dielectric layer is removed. However, the etching stop layer for protecting the underlying structures from being etched during removing the dielectric layer may have poor step coverage in the peripheral region. Consequently, the devices in the peripheral region may be exposed to the risk of being damaged during removing the dielectric layer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In light of the above, one objective of the present invention is to provide a method of forming a stop layer having an improved step coverage to ensure integrity of the underlying structures.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a semiconductor structure including conductive lines is provided. The semiconductor structure including conductive lines includes a substrate that is divided into a memory region and a peripheral region, a first conductive line disposed in the peripheral region, a silicon nitride layer covering the first conductive line, and a silicon carbon nitride layer covering and indirect contact with the silicon nitride layer.

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method of forming a stop layer is disclosed, including the following steps. First, a substrate is provided. The substrate is divided into a memory region and a peripheral region and two conductive lines are disposed in the peripheral region of the substrate. Subsequently, an atomic layer deposition process is performed to form a silicon nitride layer covering the conductive lines. After forming the silicon nitride layer, a silicon carbon nitride layer covering the silicon nitride layer is formed to serve as a stop layer.

These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 to FIG. 9 illustrate a method of forming a semiconductor structure including conductive lines according to one embodiment of the present invention, wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts a substrate with a memory region and a peripheral region;

FIG. 2 is a fabricating stage following FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fabricating stage following FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fabricating stage following FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fabricating stage following FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fabricating stage following FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fabricating stage following FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a fabricating stage following FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a fabricating stage following FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Please refer to FIG. 1 to FIG. 9, which illustrate a method of forming a semiconductor structure including conductive lines according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a substrate 10 is provided. The substrate 10 may be divided into a memory region A and a peripheral region B. A first transistor 12 is disposed on the substrate 10 of the memory region A. The first transistor 12 includes a first gate 14 and two source/drain regions 16 respectively disposed at two sides of the first gate 14. A second transistor 18 is disposed on the substrate 10 of the peripheral region B. The second transistor 18 includes a second gate 20 and two source/drain regions 22 respectively disposed at two sides of the second electrode 20. Subsequently, a dielectric layer 24 is formed covering the memory region A and the peripheral region B of the substrate 10. A first conductive line 26 a, a second conductive line 26 b, a third conductive line 26 c and a fourth conductive line 26 d are then formed on the dielectric layer 24 of the peripheral region B, and a fifth conductive line 26 e is formed on the dielectric layer 24 of the memory region A. The dielectric layer 24 may include dielectric materials such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride. The number of the conductive lines in the peripheral region B and the memory region A may be adjusted according to design needs. In the illustrated embodiment, four conductive lines formed in the peripheral region B and one conductive line formed in the memory region A is only for illustration purposes and should not be taken as a limitation. The spaces between adjacent conductive lines may be the same or different. For example, among the space D1 between the second conductive line 26 b and the third conductive line 26 c, the space D2 between the first conductive line 26 a and the second conductive line 26 b, and the space D3 between the third conductive line 26 c and the fourth conductive line 26 d, the space D1 may be the largest, the second space D2 may be the second, and the space D3 may be the smallest. Subsequently, spacers are formed on two sides of each conductive line. For example, two first spacers 28 a are formed respectively on two sides of the first conductive line 26 a, and two second spacers 28 b are formed respectively on two sides of the second conductive line 26 b. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 1, two spacers are formed respectively on two sides of the third conductive line 26 c, the fourth conductive line 26 d and the fifth conductive line 26 e. As previously mentioned, the space D3 between the third conductive line 26 c and the fourth conductive line 26 d may the smallest, so that the two spacers respectively on a sidewall of the third conductive line 26 c and a sidewall of the fourth conductive line 26 d facing the third conductive line 26 c may be jointed. Accordingly, the dielectric layer 24 exposed from the space between the second conductive line 26 c and the fourth conductive line 26 d may be completely covered by the spacer on the sidewall of the third conductive line 26 c and the spacer on the sidewall of the fourth conductive line 26 d facing the third conductive line 26 c. In the illustrated embodiment, one of the first spacers 28 a and one of the second spacers 28 b are adjacent to each other and spaced apart from each other by a space S smaller than 330 nm. It is noteworthy that the method provided by the present invention is especially applicable for the situation when the space S is between 230 nm and 330 nm. The reason is that when the space S is between 230 nm and 330 nm, the stop layer formed by a conventional method may not be able to completely fill up or entirely cover the space S. Regarding a space between adjacent spacers smaller than the space S, such as the space between the adjacent spacers respectively on the third conductive line 26 c and the fourth conductive line 26 d, as previously mentioned, the spacers on the third conductive line 26 c and the fourth conductive line 26 d may be jointed together, and therefore the dielectric layer 24 between the third conductive line 26 c and the fourth conductive line 26 d would be completely covered. Therefore, there is no need for the stop layer to fill into the space. Regarding when a space between adjacent spacers is larger than the space S, such as the space between the adjacent spacers respectively on the second conductive line 26 b and the third conductive line 26 c, the space is large enough for the stop layer easily to fill into the space without difficulties caused by the space. Therefore, the method provided by the present invention may be selectively applied. However, regarding the space S ranges from 230 nm and 330 nm, it is too large for spacers to be jointed thereby completely covering the dielectric layer 24, and nevertheless, it is also too small for the stop layer to fill into the space S without any difficulties. Therefore, it is preferred to perform the method provided by the present invention when the space S is between 230 nm and 330 nm.

Furthermore, the first conductive line 26 a, the second conductive line 26 b, the third conductive line 26 c, the fourth conducive line 26 d and the fifth conductive line 26 e are parallel with each other. Furthermore, after the dielectric layer 24 has been formed, a conductive plug 30 may be formed in the dielectric layer 24 directly over the second transistor 18, and a conductive plug 32 and a conductive plug 34 are respectively formed in the dielectric layer 24 directly over the source/drain regions 16. The second conductive line 26 b is in direct contact and electrically connected to the conductive plug 30. The fifth conductive line 26 e is in direct contact and electrically connected to the conductive plug 34. The contact plug 32 may have an elongated shape that extends along a direction parallel with the extending direction of the first gate 14. An extending portion of the conductive plug 32 may be electrically connected to a bit line (not shown). The first conductive line 26 a, the second conductive line 26 b, the third conductive line 26 c, the fourth conducive line 26 d and the fifth conductive line 26 e may include conductive materials such as tungsten, copper or aluminum. In the illustrated embodiment, the first transistor 12 is formed in the dielectric layer 24. However, in various embodiments, when the first transistor 12 is formed buried in the substrate 10, it may be formed having a structure which is integrated with a buried word line.

Please refer to FIG. 2. Subsequently, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process is performed to forma silicon nitride layer 36 conformally covering the first conductive line 26 a, the second conductive line 26 b, the third conductive line 26 c, the fourth conducive line 26 d and the fifth conductive line 26 e. The process temperature of forming the silicon nitride layer 36 may be approximately 500° C. The reason for forming the silicon nitride layer 36 preferably by the ALD process is illustrated in the following passages. A conventional silicon nitride layer 36 formed by plasma enhanced vapor deposition (PECVD) may have poor step coverage and is not able to fill into a small space such as the space S between the first spacer 28 a and the second spacer 28 b. Consequently, a portion of the dielectric layer 24 exposed from the space S may not be fully covered by the silicon nitride layer 36. On the other hand, a silicon nitride layer 36 formed by ALD process may have a better step coverage and is able to fill into all the spaces between the first conductive line 26 a, the second conductive line 26 b, the third conductive line 26 c and the fourth conducive line 26 d, and therefore the dielectric layer 24 exposed from the spaces may be fully covered. In the illustrated embodiment when the space S is from 230 nm to 330 nm, the thickness of the silicon nitride layer 36 may range from 130 nm to 170 nm, and preferably 130 nm, to allow a conformal and complete coverage of the silicon nitride layer 36 along the conductive lines and to prevent any seam or void being enclosed by the silicon nitride layer 36 in the space S.

Please refer to FIG. 3. Afterward, a silicon carbon nitride layer 38 is formed covering the silicon nitride layer 36. The silicon carbon nitride layer 38 may be formed by performing a carbon plasma treatment to the silicon nitride layer 36 to transform a portion of the silicon nitride layer 36 into the silicon carbon nitride layer 38. The process temperature of the carbon plasma treatment has to be below 550° C. Furthermore, precursors including carbon such as trimethylsilane, tetramethylsilane, methane or ethane may be used to generate the carbon plasma. However, precursors including oxygen are not applicable in the present invention. The silicon carbon nitride layer 38 may serve as a stop layer in a later process. To this point, the space S between the first spacer 28 a and the second spacer 28 b is filled by the silicon carbon nitride 38 and the silicon nitride layer 36. The silicon carbon nitride layer 38 may serve as a stop layer during a subsequent wet etching process using 49% hydrofluoric acid (HF) to remove a dielectric layer for forming a crown capacitor. The thickness of the silicon carbon nitride layer 38 is preferably larger than 40 nm to ensure the dielectric layer 24 would not be etched by the acid etchant. According to an embodiment, the thickness of the silicon nitride layer 36 may range from 130 nm to 170 nm, and the thickness of the silicon carbon nitride layer 38 may range from 40 nm to 80 nm. The ratio of the thickness of the silicon carbon nitride layer 38 to the thickness of the silicon nitride layer 36 may be 1.6 to 4.2.

Please refer to FIG. 4. According to another preferred embodiment, the silicon carbon nitride layer 38 may be formed by a deposition process, such as a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process or a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process. Similarly, the ratio of the thickness of the silicon carbon nitride layer 38 to the thickness of the silicon nitride layer 36 is preferably 1.6 to 4.2.

Please refer to FIG. 5. Subsequently, a dielectric layer 40 is formed on the substrate 10. The material of the dielectric layer 40 may include insulating materials such as silicon nitride, silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride or borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG). An opening 42 is then formed in the dielectric layer 40 in the memory region A and the fifth conductive line 26 e is exposed from the opening 42. A capacitor bottom electrode 44 is then formed in the opening 42 and conformally covering the dielectric layer 40 and the sidewall and bottom of the opening 42. A portion of the capacitor bottom electrode 44 at the bottom of the opening 42 is in direct contact with the fifth conductive line 26 e. After that, the capacitor bottom electrode 44 outside the opening 42 is removed.

Please refer to FIG. 6. An etching process is performed to completely remove the dielectric layer 40. The etching process is preferably a wet etching process. It is noteworthy that the silicon carbon nitride layer 38 serves as a stop layer in the wet etching process. That is, the silicon carbon nitride layer 38 would not be etched by the etchant used in the wet etching process. Therefore, the dielectric layer 24 under the silicon carbon nitride layer 38 is protected from being etched.

Please refer to FIG. 7. After removing the dielectric layer 40, a capacitor dielectric layer 46 and a capacitor top electrode 48 are successively formed covering the capacitor bottom electrode 44. The material of the capacitor top electrode 48 and the capacitor bottom electrode 44 may include conductive materials such as platinum, tungsten, tungsten nitride, titanium nitride or tantalum nitride. Furthermore, the capacitor top electrode 48 may include multiple layers including, for example, tungsten, polysilicon or metal nitride. Furthermore, a protect layer (not shown), such as a silicon nitride layer, may be formed on the capacitor top electrode 48 As shown in FIG. 8, a mask layer 50 is then formed in the memory region A and covering the capacitor top electrode 48 in the memory region A. The capacitor top electrode 48 formed in the peripheral region B is not covered by the mask layer 50. Subsequently, by using the silicon carbon nitride layer 38 as a stop layer, the capacitor top electrode 48 and the capacitor dielectric layer 48 not covered by the mask layer 50 is removed. More specifically, the silicon carbon nitride layer 38 is used as an etching stop layer again in the process of removing the capacitor top electrode 48 and the capacitor dielectric layer 48. After the capacitor top electrode 48 and the capacitor dielectric layer 46 in the peripheral region B have been removed, the capacitor bottom electrode 44, the capacitor dielectric layer 48 and the capacitor top electrode 48 in the memory region A collectively form a capacitor structure 52. Furthermore, the capacitor structure 52 and the first transistor 12 collectively form a memory cell 54, such as a memory cell used in a DRAM.

Please refer to FIG. 9. Subsequently, the mask layer 50 is removed and a dielectric layer 56 is then formed covering the memory region A and the peripheral region B. The dielectric layer 56 may include a single material layer or multiple material layers. Preferably, the dielectric layer 56 includes silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, silicon carbon nitride or metal oxides. Furthermore, the dielectric layer 24, the dielectric layer 40 and the dielectric layer 56 disclosed in the present invention may be formed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), spin-on or atomic layer deposition (ALD), respectively. After forming the dielectric layer 56, a contact structure 58, such as a conductive plug, is formed in the dielectric layer 56. The contact structure 58 penetrates through the dielectric layer 56 to directly contact and be electrically connected to the second conductive line 26 b.

According to another preferred embodiment, a semiconductor structure including conductive lines is disclosed. As shown in FIG. 9, the semiconductor structure includes a substrate 10 that is divided into a memory region A and a peripheral region B. The substrate 10 may be a silicon substrate, a germanium substrate, a gallium arsenide substrate, a silicon germanium substrate, an indium phosphide substrate, a gallium nitride substrate or a silicon carbide substrate. A first transistor 12 is disposed on the substrate 10 of the memory region A. A second transistor 18 is disposed on the substrate 10 of the peripheral region B. The first transistor 12 includes a first gate 14 and two source/drain regions 16 respectively disposed at two sides of the first gate 14. The second transistor 18 includes a second gate 20 and two source/drain regions 22 respectively disposed at two sides of the second gate 20. A dielectric layer 24 covers the first transistor 12 and the second transistor 18. A first conductive line 26 a and a second conductive line 26 b are disposed on and in direct contact with the dielectric layer 24 of the peripheral region B. A silicon nitride layer 36 covers and directly contacts the first conductive line 26 a and the second conductive line 26 b. A silicon carbon nitride layer 38 covers and is in direct contact with the silicon nitride layer 36. A dielectric layer 56 is disposed on and in direct contact with the silicon carbon nitride layer 38. It is noteworthy that the ratio of the thickness of the silicon carbon nitride layer 38 to the thickness of the silicon nitride layer 36 is 1.6 to 4.2. Furthermore, the first conductive line 26 b is parallel with the first conductive line 26 a. Two first spacers 28 a are respectively disposed on two sides of the first conductive line 26 a. Two second spacers 28 b are respectively disposed on two sides of the second conductive line 26 b. One of the first spacers 28 a and one of the second spacers 28 b are adjacent to each other and spaced apart from each other by a space S ranging from 130 nm to 170 nm. Furthermore, the silicon nitride layer 36 and the silicon carbon nitride layer 38 collectively fill up or entirely cover the space S. Furthermore, a fifth conductive line 26 e is disposed on the dielectric layer 24 of the memory region A. A top surface of the first conductive line 26 a, a top surface of the second conductive line 26 b and a top surface of the fifth conductive line 26 e are coplanar.

Furthermore, a capacitor structure 52 is disposed in the memory region A. The capacitor structure 52 is electrically connected to the first transistor 12 by the conductive plug 34 and the fifth conductive line 26 e. The first transistor 12 and the capacitor structure 52 collectively form a memory cell, such as a memory cell used in a DRAM. Furthermore, a contact structure 58 is disposed on the second conductive line 26 b in the peripheral region B. The contact structure 58 directly contacts and is electrically connected to the second conductive line 26 b. The contact structure 58 may be a conductive plug.

It is one feature of the present invention that a silicon nitride layer 36 is formed by ALD to allow the silicon nitride layer 36 to completely cover the space S, which specifically ranges from 130 nm to 170 nm. A silicon carbon nitride layer 38 is then formed on the silicon nitride layer 36 by a carbon plasma treatment or a deposition process. The silicon carbon nitride layer 38 may be an etching stop layer during the subsequent process of removing a dielectric layer 40 and a mask layer 50 to protect the dielectric layer 24 under the conductive lines.

Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A semiconductor structure comprising conductive lines, comprising: a substrate which is divided into a memory region and a peripheral region; a first conductive line disposed in the peripheral region; a silicon nitride layer covering the first conductive line; a silicon carbon nitride layer covering and in direct contact with the silicon nitride layer; and a second conductive line disposed in the peripheral region and parallel with the first conductive line, two first spacers respectively disposed on two sides of the first conductive line, and two second spacers respectively disposed on two sides of the second conductive line, wherein one of the two first spacers and one of the two second spacers are adjacent to each other and spaced apart from each other by a space ranging from 130 nm to 170 nm.
 2. The semiconductor structure comprising conductive lines according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of a thickness of the silicon carbon nitride layer to a thickness the silicon nitride layer is 1.6 to 4.2.
 3. The semiconductor structure comprising conductive lines according to claim 1, wherein the memory region comprises at least a memory cell comprising at least a first transistor and a capacitor, and the peripheral region comprises at least a second transistor.
 4. The semiconductor structure comprising conductive lines according to claim 3, wherein the first conductive line is electrically connected to the second transistor.
 5. The semiconductor structure comprising conductive lines according to claim 3, further comprising a third conductive line disposed in the memory region and electrically connected to the first transistor and the capacitor.
 6. The semiconductor structure comprising conductive lines according to claim 5, wherein a top surface of the first conductive line and a top surface of the third conductive line are coplanar.
 7. The semiconductor structure comprising conductive lines according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral region comprises at least a contact structure, and the first conductive line is electrically connected to the contact structure.
 8. The semiconductor structure comprising conductive lines according to claim 1, wherein the silicon nitride layer and the silicon carbon nitride layer collectively entirely cover the space. 